Facing Your Deadliest Habit With Confidence and Caution

Every day, millions of Americans sit down in metal machines, turn on car engines, back out of their garages, and join countless other distractable, vulnerable drivers in a mad rush to reach work and school. Children scream in the backseat, horns blare from across the road, a distracted driver weaves in and out of their lane, and ambulances speed to reach an accident.

If you’re lucky, you aren’t in that accident. You just move on to school, join the mad frenzy to get home at the end of the day, and don’t think twice about the fact that one of the deadliest killers of Americans is staring you in the face.

An estimated 42,795 Americans died in car accidents during 2022. Many of these accidents are easily preventable. As a new driver, taking drivers ed has opened my eyes to the dangers of driving and the precautions that are necessary to drive safely. For example, one of my drivers ed videos discussed drunk driving and reported the number of deaths caused by people who drive under the influence of alcohol. The video then personalized those numbers, showing me that one of the numbers could have been my brother, my friend, or me. No one is immune to the repercussions of irresponsible driving. We must understand and respect that. When we realize how dangerous driving can be, it makes us more alert as we drive, and it also helps us listen to driving instruction and turn our backs on distractions. Drivers ed plays a fundamental role in showing us the risk that surrounds driving.

Additionally, drivers ed presents practical steps to help us drive safely. It teaches us the rules of the road, revealing to us the system used to maintain order on busy interstates and castaway gravel roads. This knowledge is essential in every driving circumstance. However, drivers ed also teaches that we must keep an eye out for what other drivers are doing. Even if we are following the rules, that doesn’t mean everyone else is. Drivers ed teaches us how dangerous driving is and presents us with rules to help us enter that danger with confidence, caution, and knowledge.

Despite this, thousands of Americans die every year in accidents. How can we reduce these deaths? Some of the leading causes of driving related deaths are phone distractions, drunk driving, speeding, road rage, not wearing seatbelts, and bad driving conditions. We must address these causes in turn.

First, phones are a large distraction while driving. People should not look at their phones while operating a vehicle. After all, a driver can move across the length of a football field in the few seconds it takes to look at a new text. If it is necessary to check google maps or answer a call, pulling over is the responsible thing to do. To help with the problem of phone distractions, states can pass legislation that makes it largely illegal to use phones while driving. We can also encourage our family and friends to ignore their phones while driving. No matter how much skill or self-confidence a driver has, no one can concentrate on the road while texting. Driving while distracted by a phone is deadly, so we must set down our phones as soon as we start up our car engines.

Second, drunk driving is a serious driving hazard. The human brain cannot clearly think when it is crippled by too much alcohol, so no one should touch a steering wheel if they are drunk. Driving requires attention, coordination, and alertness. None of this is possible if the driver is drunk.

Third, speeding prevents us from having control while driving. Roads have speed limits for a reason. Some roads have tight curves, frequent stops, or heavy traffic. If we go too fast, the momentum of our car takes over our control. To remain in charge of our vehicles, we must drive at the right speed. One way to prevent ourselves from speeding is to give ourselves margin when we are driving. If we have extra time to get places, we will not feel rushed. However, even if we are running late, getting somewhere on time is not as important as human lives. Speeding is reckless and we shouldn’t engage in it.

Fourth, road rage causes many accidents that should never happen. The roads are not the place for anger, revenge, or bitterness. When we drive, getting worked up over things is life-threatening. Self-control is always important, but even more so when we are on the road with an incredible amount of force at our fingertips. We should make the decision to remain calm when we drive, and if we feel angry or vengeful, we should pull off.

Fifth, not wearing seatbelts is extremely dangerous. Driving without a seatbelt is like jumping into a lake without a life-vest when you don’t know how to swim. We are very limited in the ways we can protect ourselves in an accident. But like a life-vest can keep swimmers afloat, seatbelts can save our lives. Seatbelts are not extra precautions for anxious people. With all this in mind, we should never pull out of the garage without seatbelts strapped over our shoulders.

Finally, bad road conditions cause many accidents. This hazard is different from the rest in that it does not start with the driver. We cannot control road conditions, but we can control how we react to them. If possible, we should stay off the road when conditions are poor. However, we should also learn how to drive in bad conditions so that we are equipped to face the challenge if we need to. Learning about bad road conditions is an important part of driver’s ed, and we must pay attention to it. It is vital that we are cautious and knowledgeable when driving in less-than-ideal circumstances.

All of these hazards cause many deaths, but at their root is pride. Too often, we imagine that we are invulnerable. No one wakes up expecting to be in an accident, but accidents happen all the same. Driving is a great responsibility, and every time we sit in front of a steering wheel and turn on our car’s engine, we hold our lives and our passengers’ lives in our hands.

Thankfully, I have not been in an accident myself, but I have witnessed a car spinning during icy road conditions. My family and I were driving slightly behind the car when it spun. Though shaken, we made it home safely. My dad was also once in a bad accident on the interstate. A semi hit him due to whiteout conditions, and the crash resulted in a series of collisions. Fortunately, my dad was unharmed. These accidents remind me that driving is dangerous, and that I should make every precaution I can to avoid irresponsible driving.

Personally, I can take action to make the roads a safer place. I can realize the responsibility and risks that come with driving. I can resolve to treat driving with the seriousness that it deserves, and I can refuse to let myself be distracted by my phone or other things I can control. By focusing on learning to drive well, I can become a confident, safe driver who can enter my area’s roads without endangering myself or others. As I continue driver’s ed, I can make it my goal to master the content and skills instead of just earn a driver’s license. Finally, I can inform others about the importance of driving well and encourage my friends and family to be safe. We must not overlook the important of driving responsibly.

Driving is a privilege, but it is also one of the most dangerous activities we regularly do. Every time we pull out of our driveways onto the roads, we enter a risky situation that spawns many accidents. However, with the right caution, confidence, and skill, we can do our part to make our streets safer. Every driver has a role to play in protecting our communities, and every driver has the potential to drive responsibly with safety in mind.

Sources:

“NHTSA Estimates for 2022 Show Roadway Fatalities Remain Flat After Two Years of Dramatic Increases.” NHTSA.gov. 20 April 2023. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 1 Aug. 2023. www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/traffic-crash-death-estimates-2022#:~:text=NHTSA%20Estimates%20for%202022%20Show,Two%20Years%20of%20Dramatic%20Increases&text=The%20National%20Highway%20Traffic%20Safety,in%20motor%20vehicle%20traffic%20crashes.